Proud to be an American!
by Alaskan Blue
Summary: Dee and Ryo celebrate a bittersweet 4th of July when the government makes a decision that will change their lives forever. Warnings: Language, shonen ai


I wrote this the day after the primary election in my state where a constitutional amendment was passed that says that "marriage shall only be valid between one man and one woman." Basically, I got pissed and this is what came out. No I'm not anti-American just anti-Bush administration :-) conservative Republicans, any fans of John Ashcroft, President Bush and the Christian Coalition probably shouldn't read this, you have been warned.

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own them, Sanami Matoh does, don't sue me, I don't make money from this, blah… blah… blah…

Words and Lyrics for the Song "I'm Proud to be an American" are property of Lee Greenwood.

Proud to Be an American?!

By: Alaskan Blue

Ryo glanced at his watch for the second time in fifteen minutes and tapped his foot. He had been waiting on the landing of the stairs for ten minutes for Bikky and Carol to arrive for a picnic style dinner on the rooftop of the precinct before watching the fireworks display that would go off in the harbor. "It's nearly 8:30 already, where are they?" He wondered aloud.

"Relax man! They'll be here, you've got plenty of time till the show!" Said Ted as he returned from the conference room with a can of soda. "Besides, they're kids, they're never there when they promise to be."

Ted flopped into his chair and cracked off the tab on the Coke and took a long drink then leaned back while fanning himself with a file folder. The air conditioning unit in the building of the 27th had broken down early that morning and the city had been held in the cruel grip of a 102 degree heatwave for the past two days. "At least you get to LEAVE here! I'm stuck until 3 a.m.!"

"I already said you could sneak away for twenty minutes and come up to the roof with us." Ryo told him.

Ted chuckled and shook his head, "Don't worry about it bud, I don't want to intrude on a family thing, besides, it's not like I haven't seen it before or anything, it's all the same you know, BOOM! Oooh… BOOM! Ahhh…" Ted used his hands to pantomime fireworks going off in the air while providing sound effects, making Ryo laugh.

At that point there was a great commotion in the stairwell as two bundles of energy, one of which was lugging a neon green picnic cooler exploded onto the landing. "Ha! Ha! Beat you!" Carol sang.

"Yeah right! If it weren't for this thing I'd have smoked your ass!" Bikky panted in between breaths and set the cooler down with a 'thud'.

Ryo sighed loudly and looked at them. "How many times have I asked two to be QUIET in the station?"

"Um…" Carol grew silent and her eyes looked skyward as she concentrated and began mentally counting.

"Oh, that was for real?" Bikky grinned as he stood up, "I thought those were suggestions!"

"Very funny Bikky, but then you're only 15 so we can't expect you to grow up anytime soon," said Ryo dryly, as he lightly cuffed Bikky on the head. "You kids head on up to the roof, I'll be there in a second."

"Okay!" They shouted in unison and turned to run screaming again before Ryo stopped them with a gentle voice. "Hey guys?"

"Yeah?" Bikky said and turned back to Ryo.

"About tonight, I want you two to be on your best behavior, and that goes double for you, Bikky, Dee's been in a bit of a bad mood all day and he doesn't need the usual arguments."

"Aw, come on Ryo! I gotta' keep the old perv on his toes." Bikky smiled cattily.

"I'm serious." Ryo said, giving Bikky his 'cop face'

Bikky sobered instantly knowing that Ryo was being serious. "Okay, I'll be good, for tonight anyway."

"Hey Bikky," Carol said with a wide grin that nearly split her face.

"What?" Bikky turned towards her.

"Race ya'!!!" Carol kicked the cooler in his direction and bolted for the stairs.

"Cheater!" Yelled Bikky, as he grabbed the cooler, hoisted it up on one shoulder, and raced after her up the flight of stairs that led to the roof exit.

Ryo sighed and his shoulders slumped as his orders were blatantly ignored for the second time that day. He turned back to Ted to find the flame haired officer still sipping on his soda and and grinning after the teenagers that had just torn through the office. "I wish they wouldn't act like that, just because I don't work here anymore doesn't mean they can act like hoodlums. Sometimes those two…" Ryo let his sentence hang in the air.

"Bullshit!" Ted snorted. "You'd give your right arm for both of them and you know it."

"On days like this it would be a tough decision." Ryo said and leaned down to pick up the battery operated stereo and black Hefty bag that sat near his feet.

"What's Dee so pissed about anyway?" Ted asked.

"What else?" Ryo rolled his eyes. "Rose pulled rank on one of his cases."

Ted laughed again, "If ever there were two people who were more alike…"

"Yeah." Ryo said quietly then asked Ted one last time, "You sure you don't want to join us?"

Ted waved him off, "No thanks man, I'm good."

"Okay. See you in an hour or so." Ryo waved and then started up the stairs, wondering what Ted would have said if he'd told him the REAL reason Dee was upset.

He took the stairs quickly, hoping that Bikky and Carol had follwed his advice and not started any of the teasing they usually did with his raven haired partner. He reached the door at the top of the stairwell that led out onto the roof and he steeled himself against what would likely be intense heat, both from the unrelenting sun that had beaten down upon the city of late, but from his lover and a blonde orphan tempers as well. He pushed open the door and was greeted by the expected blast of heat that radiated off of the blacktop roof, he shut the door behind him and headed quickly over the section that was shaded by the taller building that was to the side of the 27th and was surprised to see the teenagers helping Dee smooth out a large beach blanket on the blacktop that had been in the shade long enough to bear sitting on. Ryo let out a sigh of relief as he saw Dee smile at Carol as the two unloaded the cooler of it's contents and spoon out portions of cottage cheese, potato salad, and other cold sides as well as sandwiches onto the paper plates, "Maybe he's had a chance to calm down…" He breathed and walked towards the group.

Bikky darted over from the side of the building where he had been watching the sun slowly making its way past the horizon, "It's gonna be great!" He yelled. "We'll see the whole thing from here!"

"Not likely," Ryo said, "The smaller buildings still block the view of the harbor where they'll launch them, but we'll have a good aerial view anyway. Of course, you better chow down now if you want to be done by show time, we've only got about twenty minutes."

Bikky dropped down next to Carol and took the plate she offered him, shoveling a mouthful of potato salad into his jaws. Dee tossed a Dorito at him and admonished him to eat like a human being.

"Strange advice coming from you…" Bikky taunted.

Dee and Ryo both gave the boy looks that could freeze lava and the youth quieted immediately. Turning his attention to the pretty girl that sat next to his adopted son Ryo asked, "So Cal, what happened with you guys today?"

"Not much, we went to Central Park and saw the war reenactment, and burned some sparklers. Oh, but I got one of the singer's autographs who was performing at the Patriots Concert." She brightened.

"Sounds nice." Ryo offered, spooning another helping of fruit salad onto his plate. "You two did stay out of trouble?"

"Who us?" Bikky grinned wickedly. "Always!"

"That's enough to tell me Ryo's gonna' be double checking ALL the juvenile reports tomorrow." Dee muttered and Carol laughed in response.

"How about you?" Bikky asked Dee. "Are you going to have to stay late tonight or are we still going out for a movie after the fireworks?"

"Nope, I'm good for the weekend, do you guys still want to go to the zoo on Sunday?" Dee queried.

"Yeah, hey, is it okay if Mark and Tyler come with us? They're only in town for another week before they get hauled off on vacation for the rest of the summer." Bikky looked hopeful.

"I wouldn't call being taken to visit relatives in Jamaica for a month being "hauled off."' Dee said with a snort.

"It's fine." Ryo answered, "Just make sure they're at the aparment by ten."

"Great!" Bikky chirped, pleased that his school buddies would be accompanying them on a family outing.

"What movie are we seeing anyway?" Carol wondered.

"_Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane_!" Bikky hollered.

"Oh, I don't think so." Ryo launched a potato chip at the blonde's head.

"What am I here? The snack food target?" Bikky brushed the crumbs out of his ponytail.

"I dunno…" Dee said, "Drake and the guys said it was pretty good, it's supposed to be really funny."

"Don't encourage him!" Ryo glared at the raven haired man.

Dee only smiled as Bikky offered up yet another movie idea whose title suggested that it was chock full of sex, violence, and gore. The group continued chatting and finishing their dinner as the sun sank lower in the sky, the long streaks of vibrant reds and oranges fading to soft pinks and finally the light blues and grays of dusk. Just as Dee was swallowing the last bite of his turkey sandwich, the unmistakable thunder of cannon fire echoed from across the harbor and through the city. Four heads snapped to the side just in time to see a brilliant sphere of shimmering blue and silver light up the evening sky and fade away with a crackle.

"Showtime!" Carol yipped and jumped to her feet to race to the side of the building to better see the gleaming explosions that would decorate the New York City sky for the next half hour.

"Ryo!" Bikky held out his hand and his guardian passed him the stereo.

"Just turn it on, it's already set to the station." Ryo told him.

The boy jogged off to join his lovely companion and set the box on the ledge and hit the "power" button with one hand while cranking up the volume knob to the highest setting with the other so that the two men would be able to hear the music. The last blaring notes of "_The Star Spangled Banner_" floated across the open roof to where Dee and Ryo still sat. Ryo stood up and brushed off his slacks to go join the kids to watch the display and was surprised to see his lover, instead of joining him, begin to gather up the empty plates and disposable food containers, shoving them into the trash bag Ryo had brought up. Ryo knelt back down and aided Dee, putting what could be saved back in the icy cooler before finally both of them picked up the beach blanket and folded it silently, setting it on top of the cooler. Ryo regarded the taller man quietly as another cannon blast signaled another burst of color and sounds of appreciation from the kids.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ryo asked.

"Nah. Let's just go watch." Dee turned in the direction of Carol and Bikky but a hand caught his elbow and stopped him.

"Maybe I want to." Ryo said.

"I just…" Dee sighed letting his statement go unfinished.

Ryo let his hand slide from Dee's elbow and down his forearm, taking the younger mans strong fingers in his own. "Come on." He motioned with a nod to a section of the roof that still offered a good view and yet would be out of earshot from the kids.

The two men walked over to the edge and sat silent for a few moments. They watched the explosions paint the sky red, green, blue, silver, gold, and half a dozen other hues. The music on the radio changed from the traditional orchestra to patriotic rock and country, all the while the sky deepening its pale tint shade by shade until it was a deep velvet navy with stars scattered across it by a giant cosmic hand. Dee stood silent for that time, his face devoid of all emotion, the only indication he was even aware of anyone else was that he kept twining his fingers with Ryo's, so the dark eyed man was startled when, just as the last notes of "_American Pie_" faded from the radio, Dee's deep voice said, "It's not right."

"I know." Ryo said lacing his fingers tighter with Dee's and moving closer to him as the next song began on the radio station.

_If tomorrow all the things were gone_

_I'd worked for all my life._

_And I had to start again_

_With just my children and my wife_

"You know, It was going to be my Christmas gift to you." Dee chuckled softly, "Scratch that idea.."

"Are you serious?" Ryo's head snapped to the side to look at his former partner incredulously.

Dee turned his head to look in his lovers eyes and gave a wry smile out of the corner of his mouth, "Yeah."

"Jeez, I'd never thought of it really." Ryo said in amazement.

"Well I wasn't going to ask you on the 25th or anything, I would have popped the question around Thanksgiving or something. You know, plenty of time to let your aunt know and for me to make arrangements for the Penguin to have been there."

"How do you know I would have said yes?" Ryo asked raising an eyebrow teasingly.

Dee's face lost its humor and he stared back out towards where another striking display of color in the shape of a star exploded in the night sky, "I was hoping."

Ryo lost his own lighthearted expression and punched Dee in the arm with his free hand.

"Hey!" Dee exclaimed looking at Ryo, surprised at how hard his usually calm lover had slugged him.

Ryo glared at him before settling back to his close position hear Dee. "You know I would have." He grumbled.

Dee sighed and pushed off of the edge of the building, turning 180 degrees so he could lean up against the concrete barricade that surrounded the edge of the roof and let the warmth left from the suns rays that had beat down on the stone all day soak into his back. He crossed his arms over his chest and kicked at some pebbles and cigarette butts on the ground with the toe of his boot. "Fat chance of it now." He said, disgusted.

Ryo turned so he was leaning his side against the edge and had a good view of Dee's profile. It never failed to amaze him just how even after two years of being partners, and then openly living together as lovers after Ryo had transferred to the juvenile division, through disagreements, arguments, full out fights, Dee and Bikky's endless squabbles, off kilter schedules, and a handful of other inconveniences that accompanied cohabitation and usually resulted in complacence and boredom, he still found Dee to be the most attractive and virile man he had ever known in his life and Ryo was proud to know that the darker man was all his. It had taken him two years to finally realize that the mans sarcasm, boisterousness, and hard-ass attitude were merely a cover for the tender, caring soul underneath. It was that beautiful soul that had made Ryo fall head over heels for Dee Laytner and want to spend the rest of his life with the man. Unfortunately, it was the recent political events that had taken place in their state that had given that vulnerable side of Dee a severe blow and made the possibility of a permanent life with Dee impossible, at least in the eyes of the law.

Ever since the recent uproar that began almost a year previously over the concept of gay marriage, and the fact that it was now legal in the state of Massachusetts as well as easily accessible countries like Canada, it seemed that every state in the country was desperately trying to change their constitutions so that the official stand on the institute of marriage was worded so that it would be recognized as valid only if it "consists of one man and one woman." This had been done to prevent the states from having to recognize marriages between same sex couples that had traveled out of state to be wed as legal in their own territory. The latest sweep of primary elections that every state was holding at this time of year had claimed a dozen states including their own New York as yet another hot bed of intolerance and Dee had taken it hard. The darker man raked a hand through his hair and sighed, "It's so fucking unfair."

_I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today_

_Cause the flag still stands for freedom_

_And they can't take that away_

Ryo struggled to find words appropriate to the situation to allay Dee's anger and hurt and realized that there were none, that in fact, he shared Dee's feelings, "I know." He said for the second time that night, "But what can we do about it now?"

Dee shrugged his shoulders and grinned wryly, "I hear Canada's nice this time of year."

"Oh right, you keep thinking that." Ryo chuckled and leaned closer to his partner.

"I just might…" Dee said gazing thoughtfully at another bright sunburst of color and the kids' appreciative noises.

"Dee, it's a bunch of intolerant pricks that can't handle the concept of something different, it's not something to start packing up and leaving the country for." Ryo said and fixed him with a look. "Besides, if you'd go anywhere why not Massachusetts? At least that's still in the U.S. and they're always needing officers in that state."

"You see me raiding the Quickie Mart for boxes and reserving a U-Haul?" Dee returned Ryo's sarcastic stare. "I was just thinking aloud."

"Yeah right, I know you too well Dee. You've thought about it." Ryo relaxed a little.

"How could I not?" Dee asked incredulously and Ryo sensed Dee was on the verge of getting himself worked up again, "Look around you Ryo."

Dee made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the city skyline and the fireworks going off in the distance. "Look! Here we are, in the United States of America, supposedly 'the greatest country in the world' according to that fuckwit in the Oval Office. And we're celebrating the 4th of July, the day that a bunch of dead white guys who had been oppressed, unfairly taxed, their homes infringed upon, and in general, been treated like ten kinds of shit by a government thousands of miles away said 'enough already' and did something to change it!"

_And I'm proud to be an American_

_Where at least I know I'm free_

_And I wont forget the men who died_

_Who gave that right to me_

"Dee…" Ryo said jerking his head towards Carol and Bikky trying to remind his partner of how he didn't want them to know just how badly the whole situation was affecting the two men, but it was to no avail. Dee was on a roll

"No! I've held it in for damn near twenty four hours and it's coming out now. If they hear well that's too bad, those two are old enough to know just how shitty this place is." Dee shook his head emphatically, he had tried desperately for the last few weeks not to let Ryo see just how angry he was about the whole situation and had succeeded, only letting his true feelings be shown a few times, the worst being last night when the final result had been determined and he had screamed in a few choice epithets exactly what he thought of the voting majority of the New York commonwealth and stormed out the door to take a long walk, leaving Ryo so worry about him and make sure that someone was there to supervise Bikky.

Dee took a deep breath and continued his voice raised a few decibels above the volume on the radio. "What happened yesterday goes against everything this country is supposed to stand for, justice, equality, fair treatment, all of it! Everyone keeps going on and on about how much things have improved for the gay interest but have they really? Everyone says that we've come such a long way since Stonewall but how far? Look at you and me! We couldn't be totally open about our relationship until one of us transferred out of the precinct and even then we had to wait a few months."

"You're forgetting that was mainly due to the fraternization rule…" Ryo tried to reason but Dee cut him off.

"Okay, look at Rose, yeah he's an asshole but he still has to be secretive about his sexuality otherwise he'd be canned in a heartbeat."

"Dee, Rose will go after anything with a pulse…" Ryo sighed, remembering the time he had seen the bespectacled commissioner in a bar with a meter maid from the 25th precinct and then two nights later with the bartender that had served them!

"That doesn't matter!" Dee waved his statement off, "The point is even now we're not being treated as equals. They're making amendments that are so obviously unconstitutional it's plainer than black and white!"

_And I gladly stand up_

_Next to you and defend her still today_

_Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land_

_God bless the __USA___

"I'm not saying it isn't Dee, but we just have to give it time." Ryo moved closer and put his hand on Dee's arm trying to calm him before the kids came over to see what the upset was.

Dee snorted in disgust, "Time, right, that's all we've been doing for the past forty years. It's a fucking mantra by now Ryo, 'Give it time,' 'In time it will change,' 'With time we will prevail.'" Dee sing-songed.

"It's worked before." Ryo murmured.

"Oh yeah? Give me an example." Dee glared at him.

"Ever heard of the Civil Rights Movement?" Ryo said and the corner of his mouth jerked into a cocky smile.

"You _do_ know how many people _died_ during that, right?" Dee spat derisively and frowned.

Ryo sighed as he realized that he should just let Dee finish and stop trying to reason. He had been with Dee long enough that he had learned there were some things he couldn't talk Dee out of and it was just best to stand aside and let the 27th's brashest detective say his fill, but there was something about Dee's attitude that hinted that this was more than just a case of righteous indignation, however justified it was. He looked at Dee with thoughtful eyes and raised a hand to cup his lovers jaw and asked quietly, "What is this _really_ about?"

_From the lakes of __Minnesota___

_To the hills of __Tennessee___

_Across the plains of __Texas___

_From sea to shining sea_

_From __Detroit__ down to __Houston___

_And __New York__ to __L.A.___

_Well there's pride in every American heart_

_And its time we stand and say_

Dee felt as though Ryo had just given him a slap across the face rather than a gentle caress. He never failed to be amazed at how Ryo was always able to see past the bluster and slapdash reasoning that was only a thin veneer over what he was truly feeling. Dee's expression softened and he raised his own hand to cover the one Ryo pressed against his cheek and his eyes fell to the ground. He let out a shuddering breath and chose his words carefully. "It's like all those people who said that I was a faggot, a freak or an abomination that didn't deserve to live is being proven right."

"What?!" Ryo was shocked. They'd had many conversations about their sexuality and Dee had indicated that he'd run into some people who were intolerant about his bi-sexuality, but in his usual method of dealing with unpleasant memories in his past, he'd never gone into specifics.

"Yeah." Dee said and pushed away from the support of the concrete barrier and Ryo's touch walking a few steps away to stand with his hands in his pockets and watching the latest barrage of luminance. "It didn't happen often, just some guys in school who were either total homophobes or just liked to beat the crap out of "the fags" to hide the fact that they had some of those tendencies themselves."

"They did this to you?" Ryo asked, hoping to god Dee's answer would be no.

"Yeah right, they knew better than to mess with me. I learned how to brawl while I was still in the cradle and even if I couldn't kick their asses, the guys I hung out with sure would have!" Dee grinned, lost in the good memories he and his friends had shared then sobered. "It was because of that I was able to be so open about who I was. I knew I was bi, it didn't bother me or my buddies, I didn't hit on anyone that didn't swing the same way as I did but some of the guys in school didn't care. They still threw the insults, put the degrading notes and pictures in my locker, in general trying to get a rise out of me. I never let them see that it bothered me, and to be honest I don't think it did, at least not much. But it still made me angry that they got away with treating the weaker kids the way they did."

"Okay…" Ryo nodded beginning to understand what Dee was saying.

"What I'm trying to say is that, the reason I was so confident in myself was mainly from two people: The Penguin always cared about me no matter what, she was pretty rare in the fact that she was a realist who could accept people for who they were no matter what and the second was one of my teachers in school. Mrs. Grady taught history but she was also really big on Civics. I think she put more emphasis on that subject than any other, she wanted us to know what this country was about and what our rights were. She taught us that our government was set up so that every citizen could be whoever and whatever they wanted to be in this life, whether that meant you wore a star of David, or belonged to a radical political group, altered your body in crazy ways, or liked to have sex with either gender. All so long as it didn't hurt anybody. That really struck a chord in me and gave me the extra confidence I needed. The fact that she got fired for that statement that semester just fueled my resolve to be myself, I knew she was right and that the government would someday agree with what she, the Penguin, myself, and a few million others believed."

Dee let out a heavy sigh and turned his head to look at Ryo. "Then this shit hit the fan. The government I believed in and trusted to protect my civil rights suddenly stopped saying it was okay to be who I am. It suddenly decided that it needed to rule who I shared my bed, my heart, and my life with. The bastards basically said to me that all the things those fascist fucks in high school and college were right all along."

_That I'm proud to be an American_

_Where at least I know I'm free_

_And I wont forget the men who died_

_Who gave that right to me_

"Oh Dee," Ryo closed the space between then and put his arms around Dee. "You know they were wrong."

"I do. Ethically, legally, _morally_, all those assholes were wrong for everything they thought and said but now this whole thing is saying they were right. They tried to change the fucking Constitution for God's sake. Yeah, I know, that didn't pass but it didn't need to, not so long as the states are willing to do what Congress knew they couldn't pass without being overturned by the Supreme Court! So long as the states are willing to make the changes, the federal branch won't need to. Same ends, different means." Dee looked towards where Bikky and Carol were watching the grand finale as the last of the fireworks were set off in a near deafening crescendo of cannon fire and radiant explosions filled the sky over New York City.

Ryo ran his hands up and down Dee's back in long soothing strokes, hating to hear the defeat and helplessness in Dee's voice. "It will change eventually Dee." Was all he could think to say.

Dee grinned weakly and wriggled his hands out of his pockets and pulled his arms out of Ryo's embrace so he could put them around the shorter man. "Yeah, I know, the question is when? Look at how long it took for blacks to get full equality even after Brown vs. The Board of Education."

"Well I'll tell you this," said Ryo tilting his head up so that emerald eyes were drowning in deep chocolate pools, "It will happen eventually, and if it takes five years or five decades I promise you, I'll be at you're side when it happens."

_And I gladly stand up_

_Next to you and defend her still today_

_Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land_

Dee stared into Ryo's soft face and felt a strange burning sensation tickle the back of his throat, and a sudden moisture sprang to his eyes that couldn't be passed off by the smell and sting of the gunpowder fumes that filled the night air. He swallowed hard and tried to speak around the lump that had formed in his throat,even though he was sure that Ryo wouldn't be able to hear him over the din created by the display, and the kids clapping and cheering loudly and the climax of the song on the radio, the smile that lit up his lovers face and the way Ryo reached up and pulled his head down for a soul searing kiss proved the other man had heard his whispered, "I love you."

Ryo smiled when he ended the kiss and just held Dee tighter as they watched the last of the detonations explode in dazzling bursts and fade away into the night.

_God bless the __USA___

Stonewall is a reference to the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich village gay bar that was raided by police on June 27, 1969. "Contrary to expectations, the patrons fought back, provoking three nights of rioting in the area accompanied by the appearance of "gay power" slogans on the buildings. Almost overnight, a massive grassroots gay liberations movement was born. Owing much to the radical protest of blacks, women, and college students in the 1960s, gays challenged all forms of hostility and punishment meted out by society. Choosing to "come out of the closet" and publicly proclaim their identity, they ushered in a social change movement that has grown substantially. By 1973, there were almost eight hundred gay and lesbian organizations in the United States; by 1990, the number was several thousand. By 1970, 5,000 gay men and lesbians marched in New York City to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots; in October 1987, over 600,000 marched in Washington, to demand equality." quote is from 

I took some liberties with the location of the 27th to give it something of a harbor view but just to be sure, I called the NYPD and they said there is no 27th anyway. As for the whole election thing, yes I know primaries are held in August but it worked better for the fic.


End file.
